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1781 



GROTON HEIGHTS 



AND 



NEAA^ LONDON 



LETTERS 



FROM 



ZABDIEL ROGERS 



AND 



THOMAS MUMFORD 



From tlie Originals 
In llie possession ot Goi-don Ij Ford 



Brooklyn X Y 

Privately Printed' 

1881 



E'i^-i 



J??7 



IN EXCHANGE 
New York public Library 

JUN 27 IP12 






NOTK 

Of the writer of the foreg-oing- letter, the 
following- records aw; found, 

****** 

" Cul. Zabdid Ro(jeri< of the State Militia was often call- 
ed out during the War — /« 1775 Ms regiment was sent 
with others froin the State to the City of New York — It 
was afterivards several times ordered to the Western border 
line of Connecticut — In 17S1 he was on duty at Rye and 
Horseneck " 

( Miss Caulkins History of Norwich. Edition of 1866, p. 422) 
****** 

" The regiment from Norwich, under Col. Zabdiel Rogers 
was the first upon the ground — It arrived early in the eve- 
ning — Wm. Williams Esq. of Lebanon rode from Leban- 
on to New London in three hours ( twenty three miles ) on 
horseback. The Enemy were just preparing to embark 
when he arrived " 
( Miss Caulkins History of New London, p. 569. ) 

Jp ♦ N* ♦ ♦ ♦ 

Extract from the proceedings of a general Court Martial, 
beginning and held at New London and Groton, in the state 
of Connecticut, on the 20fh. day of August Anno Domini 
1782. by warrant and order of His Excellency the Captain 
General of the said state, of which Brigadier - General Roger 
Newberry was President, 

" Zabdiel Rogers, Esq. Colonel of t lie 'iOih. regiment, was 
called upon to answer the charge of remaining inactive upon 
the nth. day of September. The sentence was not guilty, 
and acquitted with honor.'' 
( Battle of Groton Heights. By WilliMni W. Harris, p 76. ) 



Digitized by the Internet Archive 
in 2010 with funding from 
The Library of Congress 



http://www.archive.org/details/1781grotonheight00roge 



N London. 7th. Sept. 1781 

Dr. Sir; 

I have the Unhappinefs to acquaint you 
Genl. Arnold with about 1500 Or 2000 Men Land- 
ed Here Yesterday Morning & have Burnt this 
Town From the Court House to Nathl. Shaw : 
House which was Sav'd &. from Giles Mumfords 
House to Capt. Richards Store On Both Sides Ex - 
cept a few Houses on the West Side of the Way — 
& All the Stores, Houses &C ' from Elliots Tavern 

To the Fort They Have Burnt your House & 

All Your Stores at Groton & Most of the Houses 
on the Bank — They Attack 'd the fort at Groton 
with Great Spirit but were Repuis 'd with Lofs 
Several Times by Col" Ledyard who Commanded, 
who was Oblidg'd to Surrender to Superior Force. 
after the fort Had Surrender 'd They Inhumanely 
Put him to Death as Also Capt. Peter Richards 
and A Number of Other."?.-^ Giles,- was Engag'd 
with the Enemy the whole Day And is Mucli un ~ 
well to Day thro' his fatigue — your Family Went 
Back. Suppose to Paquatonnack. where Capt. 
Mumfords Wife & Children have Gone — The 
Goods that Were divided I was Lucky Eno. to Get 
to Norwich The Ev 'g Before the Enemy Landed 
— Giles had a Very Slight Wound. . . .Cannot now 
Write you further Particulars Must Referr you to 
What I have Wrote The GovT & Shall Write again 
Imeadiately — The Enemy are Now Under Sail 
Goingf Awav — Shou'd think it Best for vou to 
Come Down — 

I am With Great Affection Your friend 

Zab: Rogers 

Thos. Mumford Esq^ 

( Addressed ) 

riios. Mumford Esq'.' 
Per F.xpress Now at Hartlord 



Groton g^^ September 1781 
Sir: 

I liavc this Ins! Rec'^ yours of Yesterday p. 
M ^. Sam! Raymond Exprefs, Requesting a narrative 
of the Barbarous Scence of the Enemy Commited 
on the Brave Garison that Nobly defended Fort 
Grisw? Col'.' Ledyard prevailed on a Number of 
the brave defenders of American Liberty to Joyn 
him in the defence of Said fortrefs added to the 
Small Garison amounting in the whole to about 
1 50, who nobly defended Said fortrefs against A - 
bout 1000 picked Brittish & foreign Troops, who 
Attacked that fort Sword in hand, & were Repulsed 
halfe an hour, during which time the Enemy Suf - 
ferd About >^ of their numbers in killed & 
wounded, but being overpowed in numbers Col!" 
Ledyard finding the Enemy had gained pofsefsion 
of some part of the Fort & entering at the Gate, 
having three men kill 'd, tho' proper to Surrender 
himself with the Garison prisoners, & presented his 
Sword to an officer who Rec"? the Same & imedi - 
ately Lunged it thr" the Brave Commandant when 
the Ruffans (no doubt by order) pierced him in 
many places with Bayonets, Lieu'" Chapman & 
Stanton of the Garison, with upwards of 70 others 
were inhumanly Murderdered with the Colonel, 
Chiefly the most worthy inhabitants of this Town, 
my Son Cap' Peter Richards make one of this 
number — About forty are Dangerously wounded, 
& About forty made prisoners whose Lives were 
Spared by the interposition of a Brittish officer who 
entered the Fort too Late to Save the Brave Col° 
Ledyard &c, the names of the whole killed & wound- 
ed I have not time Just now to Send your Excel- 
lency, never was a post more nobly defended, nor 
Brittish Cruelty more wantonly displayed, we have 
Lost the flour of this Town both in officers & Res- 



pectable inhabitants — my House with the Chief ol 
the others on the Bank are Burnt & many families 
Left destitute of food & Raiment, all the Stores in 
New London & more than halfe the Houfes are 
Likewise Consumed, I Conclude your Excellency is 
informed the infamous arnold Commanded, he dined 
with Jerremiah Miller & afterwards had his House 
Burnt with the others, I Can give your Excellency 
no encouragement from Our privateers, the Two 
Brig'! I am Concerned in are Sunk to Save them, 
their Sails & Riggen all Consumed in Stores, one 
other has no guns, so that only one Remains fit for 
Duty unequal to the plan proposed, I here there is 
Two French Ships of force at Newport — Gen! Ty- 
ler (now here) has tho* proper to order Some pub- 
lick Stores dealt out for the present Relief of those 
that have Lost their all, & no Husband &c. to pro - 
vide them Support, he wishes to know your Excel- 
lency's pleasare Respecting his Conduct herein, & 
has appointed Docf; Turner Superintendent of the 
Hospital department & direct him to Supply the 
needful for the wounded, I gave him my Advice in 
this matter 

The foreg-oing is all that is preserved of a let- 
ter, shown "by its contents to have been Tvrit - 
ten by Thomas Mumtord ( a merchant trading 
in New London but having his residence in 
Groton iipon tlie opjjoyite side of the river ) to 
Jonathan Trumbull Sen'' , then Gov of Conn? 

His daughter, Catherine was the wife of Captain 
Peter Richards who is thus mentioned in "The 
Richards Genealogy " p 96 

" Peter — lorn 1754, died 1781 Slain in Fort Griswold 
— married Catherine Mumford horn 1754, died 1805 ; resi- 
dence New London : had only Catheritie, married Levi 
Huntington : residence Xorwlch " 



Tlie following- letter ( tlie bod 3- of whioli is 
in theliand writing of AYilliam Williams, a 
Signer of the Declaration of Independence) re- 
fers to a lamiored sui'pi-i^o tliree years prior to 
tlie assault and capture of New London and 
Groton Heights. I have heen unahle to find a- 
ny other allusion to the affair. 

G. L. F. 



Lebanon Sep"^ 3*^ ]/> past 6 : p. m. 78 
Sir: 

Your Letter & Inclofure this minute re - 
ceived gives me the first & only Intelligence I 
have concerning the appearance of a British Fleet 
off New London. Your Situation &c. will afford 
you, the earliest & most particular Intelligence, & 
you will not fail to give such early orders to the whole 
or Such part of your Division of the Militia of this 
State as the Exigence of y" Cafe Shall require, & 
the prefent appearance is such ( unlefs different 
Accounts before this reaches you ShP be had ) as 
renders it necefsary to be as Speedy as pofsible in 
ordering & collecting Them at New London or 
elswhere to oppofe any Attempt of the Enemy 
which may be made. 

I am, Av**" Efteem and Regard 
Sir Your Obed* 
, hble Servant 

Jon™ Trumbull 
P S You '1 report your doings as Soon as Ne - 
cefsary. 

Maj' General Huntington 



LIBRARY OF CONGRE 



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